Stealth
by stubadingdong
Summary: Rodney pays attention... Sheppard,Weir


TITLE: Stealth

AUTHOR: stubadingdong

RATING: PG  
DATE: 3-25-06

DISCLAIMER: No one belongs to me except my cats.

SUMMARY: Rodney pays attention

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first foray into the Stargate world of fanfiction, though not my first story. I've got plenty of them up at the House of Tucker.

The corridors were dark and mostly deserted, if you didn't count the round-the-clock military presence when I left the lab. I finished typing up some notes on my laptop, so it was nearly 2:00 a.m. when I meandered my way back to my room for the night. As I neared the final corner, I could hear faint whispering. I froze. A moment of panic swelled in my chest before I realized it was just human voices.

_There. were. no. wraith. here._

I had to stop working so late.

I took a couple of steps and stopped, straining my ears to hear the late night conversation --and made sure to stay in the shadows. I peeked around the corner to find an empty corridor. Well, the corridor _looked_ empty. I poked my head out further and … saw Dr. Weir standing in Colonel Sheppard's dark doorway. She must have woken him up. He hadn't even bothered to turn the lights on. I squinted into the darkness.

She was wearing night clothes, pajama bottoms and a baggy sweatshirt, I think. I couldn't see much of Sheppard, but it looked from my position like he was in boxers and a t-shirt.

Interesting. Neither one of them seemed fazed by their attire—or lack thereof.

I leaned forward to listen, but only caught bits and pieces. It didn't sound like an emergency. Thank God. I was much too tired to deal with one of those. Both Sheppard and Elizabeth were kind of leaning on the doorframe. They were standing very close. That wasn't all that unusual, I suppose. From what I could tell, the concept of 'personal space' meant nothing to those two.

Elizabeth shook her head and looked down in that adorably sheepish way of hers.

"I'm sorry, John," I heard her say.

_Sorry for what?_ I shuffled quietly closer and strained my ears.

"Don't be," he said. I saw him reach up and tuck a curl behind her ear.

Very interesting. I always had figured they were close, probably the closest of all the Atlantis team members.

"I just…feel so stupid," she replied with a tiny shrug of her shoulder.

At least I thought that was what she said. I blinked and leaned forward some more.

"Everyone gets scared, Elizabeth," Sheppard softly soothed, reverently drawing out her name. "Don't ever apologize for that."

"It could have waited until tomorrow."

"It's _okay_."

They were whispering now. Two more steps forward and I would lose my place in shadows. I took a sliding step forward, careful not to make a sound. They just stood there, staring at each other in the quiet stillness.

No, that's not right. They were _gazing_ at each other.

They just kept standing there. I checked my watch. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. I had to pee. After several eons, something finally broke their spell. Elizabeth took a small step backward into the corridor, never taking her eyes off Sheppard. I flattened myself against the corridor wall, but she never turned around.

"I should go," she said.

I saw John's pasty arm reach out and grasp her wrist. His hand slid down into hers and their fingers entwined. He tugged her back to him.

"_Maybe…_ you should stay," he said softly.

I blinked. Wow.

"John…"

It occurred to me right then that the way she said his name was always like that. So soft. Like a kiss on the cheek or a caress. She was always kind of airy and breathy, but also authoritative.

Except for now.

There was nothing certain in her voice about was happening…whatever that was. I mean, of course I had a fairly good idea of what it was. Just because I am a scientist, and a damn good one—the best, actually despite what _some _people might say, but never mind about that—anyway, just because I'm a scientist, doesn't mean I don't understand matters of the heart. Those two had been gazing longingly at each other for months. Probably longer. They had some weird eye language, too. And Colonel Sheppard never did anything without running it past Elizabeth. And she never made a decision without consulting him.

Huh. And then there was that thing with Phoebus and Thalan…well, Carson and I had a bet that that little incident would be the catalyst to something pretty big. And it looked as though I might win that bet.

_Damn, was I good or what?_

Elizabeth's free hand made a slow trail up Sheppard's arm. And again they stood there staring at each other. Only this time their bodies were pressed together and their lips only a breath apart.

_C'mon c'mon c'mon! _I thought.

I have never seen two people hesitate for so long. After about a decade, Elizabeth's hand finally made its way to Sheppard's shoulder and behind his head. She raised her chin a fraction. It sure looked as if she was going in for a kiss.

But she didn't. She looked up at him and said something with her eyes. Whatever it was, I saw him nod. And then they spoke again in whispers. This would certainly be much easier for me if they spoke aloud, but I couldn't very well ask them to, now could I? I craned my neck. Elizabeth said something to him, or asked him a question. I couldn't tell.

Whatever it was, John didn't answer her in words. He closed the final distance between them, pressing his lips to hers. _YES! _I felt a smile creep across my face. Yep. I _am_ good. I watched as he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

I felt my smile fade. _No! _That was way too fast. I nearly gave myself away by speaking up, but caught myself in the nick of time. Now I could hear their breathing. I heard some more whispers, but nothing I could make out. They just stood there. Breathing. A hair away from devouring one another.

Something snapped in them. It was Elizabeth who went for it again. Mouths were open this time, tongues busy. I felt an urge to laugh rising up from my chest and slapped a hand over my mouth to prevent them from hearing. Elizabeth pushed Sheppard into his quarters and I heard the door slide smoothly shut behind them.

I stood there for a moment, reveling in my discovery. I was genuinely happy for them. They both deserved a little bit of happiness. Hell, we all did. Boy, I _am_ good. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face as I began to walk again to my room. Just as I passed Sheppard's door, it slid open.

I froze. I must have looked like the proverbial deer in the headlights at that moment.

Sheppard stood in the doorway shaking a finger at me.

"Not a word, McKay," was all he said, turned and disappeared into his room.

"But…what? How did he know?" I muttered aloud and shuffled on. "How does he know this? He always knows…"

FINIS


End file.
